[little wing]

Hey guys, I know some will say that I should just go fucking lift and that's it, but that's currently not feasible for me since I have school till 4-5 pm 3 times a week and use the time after school for studying(approx. 2 hours), improve my guitar playing, learning chess, improving my cooking and working on my spanish skills etc..

Ideally I have around 3 days where I can work out.
I finish school in June and I want to get good grades on my final exams to get into good universities. The final exams consist of everything we did in the last 4 years of secondary school, so I have a lot to study but that's not a problem.
The problem is I want to improve my strength and health and I don't seem to have enough time to do that.

Ideally, I have 3 days a week to work out and am looking for a routine that allows me to build up a good foundation of muscle before I can really look to add on mass after summer when I have more time on my hands.
I have read up on a lot of info on nutrition and usually eat 3000-3500 kcal on days where I work out, which has worked well for me in the past. For supplements I have whey and creatine at home.
I'm currently 17 years old and only weigh 145 pounds right now after losing a lot of weight due to sickness and injury.

Now the question I have is, what workout routine would you guys recommend for me?
I have thought about doing Stronglifts 5x5, anybody here have any experience with that?

[Doctor]

At 17, pretty much anything will "work". I've never done strong lifts or 5x5, but I know a lot of people recommend them on here.

Time constraints aren't an issue. Time management is. Pick your priorities and don't try and do everything ever. Don't delay getting to the gym and time your rest periods to keep yourself in track. And don't dick around at the gym. Fantastic workouts can be done in 45-75 minutes.

[runsonmagic]

I'm starting Occom's Protocall soon. 15 min, every four days. It's outlined in the 4-Hour Body.

[Wreckingball]

Stronglifts 5x5 takes about 30mins, 3 times a week. After the first month i'm experiencing some good results.

[WanderingSoul]

(02-02-2014 08:16 AM)Wreckingball Wrote:  

Stronglifts 5x5 takes about 30mins, 3 times a week. After the first month i'm experiencing some good results.

It definitely doesn't take 30 minutes once you get your weight up. More like an hour and thirty. 5x5 with a 3-5 minute break between each set and 3 main lifts plus warm ups is definitely going to take at least an hour, probably closer to two.

OP, if you have 3x a week, Stronglifts is definitely a good choice to start with. Don't count on it only being 30 minutes though.

[Thomas the Rhymer]

(02-02-2014 08:21 AM)RioNomad Wrote:  

(02-02-2014 08:16 AM)Wreckingball Wrote:  

Stronglifts 5x5 takes about 30mins, 3 times a week. After the first month i'm experiencing some good results.

It definitely doesn't take 30 minutes once you get your weight up. More like an hour and thirty. 5x5 with a 3-5 minute break between each set and 3 main lifts plus warm ups is definitely going to take at least an hour, probably closer to two.

OP, if you have 3x a week, Stronglifts is definitely a good choice to start with. Don't count on it only being 30 minutes though.

Yeah, stronglifts will become brutal as the weight goes up, 1 hour 30 minutes is about right, although on lazy days I found that stronglifts could drag on to the 2 hour mark. Also remember that you have to travel to the gym and back, and also probably spent time sleeping/eating after the workout. I had to switch my workouts to the evening because I couldn't function at all after a morning of stronglifts.

That said, stronglifts is very easy in the beginning. And if you have the right genetics, you may get gains from working out only twice a week, and I've heard of some people only working out once a week and still making gains from stronglifts.

If you are really pressed for time and want a quick workout, then you'll have to do the Hades in-and-out workout:http://www.rooshvforum.network/thread-12077-post-211675.html. I'd recommend doing the overhead press and deadlift combination. You can still probably make some gains even if you only do it 3 times a week.

[apoclater]

If you're 17 I assume you're still in high school. You're growing into the best genetic time of your life, why not prioritize lifting over guitar and chess? Those are two things you can learn as long as you still have a brain. If you're really concerned about time, you have ~60 more years to learn those two, as opposed to ~13 more years when you're in your genetic prime. To me it makes more sense to concentrate on lifting right now and building a solid foundation of strength for the rest of your life.

That being said, if you have an hour three times per week you can do Stronglifts and make solid gains. I miss workouts, I cut my sets to 3x5 or 3x3 sometimes, and I don't eat as much as I should. Sometimes I skip deadlifts if I'm too tired from squats, sometimes I add dips and bicep curls into my workout. I occasionally half-ass or just skip workouts after a really late night. I'm not entirely sure if my overhead press form is perfect and I can't be bothered to warm up for any exercises beyond deadlifts and squats. Simply put, I break the rules almost every way. I probably haven't made gains as much as I could have, but as long as you get in the gym 2-3 times per week and hit it hard, you're going to get strong and ripped.

[Cyr]

I am also 17, and in my final year of A levels before I go to uni. I'm in a similar position to you, as I find that I just don't have enough hours in the day to do well in school, pursue extracurricular interests and go to the gym. Basically, I decided that after my exams, gym is the most important thing and I will miss rugby, mma and anything else Im doing (apart from schoolwork or going out) to do it. I now go to the gym about 5 times a week for a little more than an hour, but thats my main hobby. You've got to decide whats most important to you, so Id say try prioritising lifting weights 3/4 times a week for a month and marginalising other interests, just to see how much you enjoy it, and then at the end of the month decide how you want to spend your time. If you still decide you don't have much time for the gym Id do something like this:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw4.htm
or a circuit workout, depending on what you enjoy. Almost regardless of what you do, you should see quick gains though, as you're skinny now.

[Wreckingball]

(02-02-2014 08:21 AM)RioNomad Wrote:  

(02-02-2014 08:16 AM)Wreckingball Wrote:  

Stronglifts 5x5 takes about 30mins, 3 times a week. After the first month i'm experiencing some good results.

It definitely doesn't take 30 minutes once you get your weight up. More like an hour and thirty. 5x5 with a 3-5 minute break between each set and 3 main lifts plus warm ups is definitely going to take at least an hour, probably closer to two.

OP, if you have 3x a week, Stronglifts is definitely a good choice to start with. Don't count on it only being 30 minutes though.

Like I said, im at the beggining of my second month. I already feel some challenging weights, especially on squats, but i don't take more than 30-40 mins.
I had no idea it could take 1.30-2.00 hours, which is way very time consuming.

[Veloce]

For your first 3 months I can see it taking 30-40 min.

But to echo Rio, by the end of your first year you'll need at least an hour, probably more.

After you get a year of foundation strength, you should give yourself a solid 2 hours in the gym, definitely not less than 90 min. If you're doing less, you're not training hard enough. Obviously something is better than nothing, but do what you can to change your time constraints, otherwise you're cheating yourself out of potential fitness that you won't achieve otherwise.

[Remington]

Make the time to go to the gym. Like the thedude said, you are cheating yourself if you don't put in the time. If you are serious about getting stronger, then you will make the effort to budget your time for the gym.

[SpecialEd]

(02-02-2014 01:18 PM)thedude3737 Wrote:  

After you get a year of foundation strength, you should give yourself a solid 2 hours in the gym, definitely not less than 90 min. If you're doing less, you're not training hard enough. Obviously something is better than nothing, but do what you can to change your time constraints, otherwise you're cheating yourself out of potential fitness that you won't achieve otherwise.

The kid's 17 and 145lbs. He could train twice a week for 20 minutes and grow just fine, he just needs to eat.

And if you're spending more than an hour in the gym, you're resting too much between sets. Beyond an hour or so, glycogen is depleted, cortisol rises, test falls, etc..More is not better in this case, people vastly overestimate the amount lifting they need to do to grow.

little wing: Start with calisthenics and increase your food intake. Get to know your body. Dips, Pushups, Chin-ups, BW Squats,etc. You could probably gain 15-20 lbs of leans mass just doing that.

[Hades]

Can you actually make it to the gym?

I would just do 20 rep squats, three times per week. Get under the bar and don't rack it until you have completed your twenty reps. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

Then hit upper body with your favorite pressing movements. Or you can just leave the gym.

If you have space, try to get your hands on a dip station or two sturdy chairs and do those every morning along with a few sets of pullups and pushups. Supersets are OK. Your total workout time for the week need not be more than an hour or two if you use no rest intervals. You should have no trouble whatsoever making lots of gains on a twenty rep squat program.

[little wing]

The workouts don't have to be particularly short but I just don't have time to go more often than 3x a week(On Thursday,Friday and Saturday) as these are the days when I only have school till 2 pm/weekend. It's only for around 4 months though, since I'll be out of school in June and will have more time on my hands then, so I am looking to build a good foundation in the next few months.

When I first started lifting in July I gained around 20lbs of good mass in 2 months so I think my nutrition is good, I focus on eating around 3000-3500 calories of healthy food, which is not a problem for me.
Unfortunately I lost all my gains due to having a nasty stomach flu and injuring my back so I was out of the gym for the most part of the last 6 months, however I have found that I quickly put on mass if I eat right and train hard.

I decided to create my own program to cater to my own needs.
It's based on the SL program, however I won't be doing linear progression but instead will first increase the reps, then the weight because when I did Starting Strength my form started to suffer when I would add weight every session.

A:
Squats 4 Sets
Calf Squats on the machine 3 Sets
Dumbbell bench Press 4 Sets
Close Grip Bench Press 3 Sets
Barbell Rows 3 Sets
Chin Ups 3 Sets

I added the calf squats because I have skinny legs and I need the strength in my calves for playing golf, and it would look stupid to have big quads and hams with zero calves.
I replaced the barbell bench press with dumbbell BP because I find it works chest more and is easier on the wrists. I also added Close Grip Bench press to focus more on the triceps and also finish off the chest.It also works all 3 heads of the triceps for even development
Finally, I also added Chin Ups for lats and more biceps work.

B:
Squats 3 Sets
Dumbbell Military Press 4 Sets
Dumbbell Upright Row 3 Sets
Deadlifts 4 Sets
Stiff Legged Deadlift 3 Sets
Barbell Biceps Curls 3 Sets

I replaced the overhead press with DB Military Press and DB Upright row as these two exercises work all parts of the shoulder and also the traps.
I also added stiff legged deadlifts for more work on lower back and hamstrings.


Once a week I will do extensive stretching, abdominals, spinal erector and wrist exercises to improve my posture, eliminate of my slight lordosis and get rid of my pussy wrists lol

Thoughts?

[LeonsGreenWifeBeater]

You're going to get a lot of advice here but since it sounds like you are just trying to get in enough lifting to 'get by' just squat dude.

3x a week 3x5 across add weight as often as you can and in and out in less than an hour. just do that, but DO it. get in there, tomorrow!

[Thomas the Rhymer]

(02-02-2014 09:32 PM)little wing Wrote:  

A:
Squats 4 Sets
Calf Squats on the machine 3 Sets
Dumbbell bench Press 4 Sets
Close Grip Bench Press 3 Sets
Barbell Rows 3 Sets
Chin Ups 3 Sets

B:
Squats 3 Sets
Dumbbell Military Press 4 Sets
Dumbbell Upright Row 3 Sets
Deadlifts 4 Sets
Stiff Legged Deadlift 3 Sets
Barbell Biceps Curls 3 Sets

I replaced the overhead press with DB Military Press and DB Upright row as these two exercises work all parts of the shoulder and also the traps.
I also added stiff legged deadlifts for more work on lower back and hamstrings.

Thoughts?

Any program you're willing to stick to is great. But your routine puts a lot of strain on the shoulders, I'd say you are at great risk of a shoulder injury especially if you're an inexperienced lifter. That's not to say don't do it, but be careful and start with light weights, especially on dumbbell bench press and dumbbell military press.

Another issue: Who is going to help you lift up the dumbbells on bench and military press once the weights get heavy? You can't exactly put dumbbells on a rack. You'll need a partner to help you hoist the weights up, which means that you then need to work around someone else's schedule. Otherwise, you can do a dumbbell floor press with heavy weight without a partner (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJPGub6u2pg) and you can do a 'clean-and-press' variation on your military press, but then the weight you can push overhead will be limited by the strength of your clean (which may not be a bad thing, because your workout is already going to punish your shoulders, so maybe it's good to keep the weight less).

[little wing]

(02-03-2014 03:48 AM)Thomas the Rhymer Wrote:  

(02-02-2014 09:32 PM)little wing Wrote:  

A:
Squats 4 Sets
Calf Squats on the machine 3 Sets
Dumbbell bench Press 4 Sets
Close Grip Bench Press 3 Sets
Barbell Rows 3 Sets
Chin Ups 3 Sets

B:
Squats 3 Sets
Dumbbell Military Press 4 Sets
Dumbbell Upright Row 3 Sets
Deadlifts 4 Sets
Stiff Legged Deadlift 3 Sets
Barbell Biceps Curls 3 Sets

I replaced the overhead press with DB Military Press and DB Upright row as these two exercises work all parts of the shoulder and also the traps.
I also added stiff legged deadlifts for more work on lower back and hamstrings.

Thoughts?

Any program you're willing to stick to is great. But your routine puts a lot of strain on the shoulders, I'd say you are at great risk of a shoulder injury especially if you're an inexperienced lifter. That's not to say don't do it, but be careful and start with light weights, especially on dumbbell bench press and dumbbell military press.

You're right about the shoulders, I'll have to try it out and see how it goes.

[WanderingSoul]

(02-02-2014 02:20 PM)SpecialEd Wrote:  

And if you're spending more than an hour in the gym, you're resting too much between sets.

This isn't true for all programs. If you're running a 5x5 you can easily spend 1:30 in the gym because you need to rest a lot between sets or you will fail your next set.

Day 1 of The Texas Method, a program a shit ton of people have gotten big and strong on, has you doing 5x5 squat, bench and rows on your day 1. With a 3-5 rest between sets, plus 5-10 warm up for each exercise, you're definitely going over an hour.

You can definitely get big and strong by spending less than an hour at the gym each workout, but just because you spend longer, doesn't mean you're resting too long between sets.

Personally, I prefer 90 minutes, but I lift 3x per week. If I lifted 5x per week, I'd rather keep it at an hour.

[w00t]

Not a big fan of SS or stronglifts personally.
Check out the Linear Program from Jonnie Candito:

http://www.canditotraininghq.com/free-st...-programs/

Its 4 days a week, Upper/Lower split.

But yeah like someone mentioned you can do pretty much anything right now and will see gains.

[WanderingSoul]

(02-03-2014 10:59 AM)w00t Wrote:  

Not a big fan of SS or stronglifts personally.
Check out the Linear Program from Jonnie Candito:

http://www.canditotraininghq.com/free-st...-programs/

Its 4 days a week, Upper/Lower split.

But yeah like someone mentioned you can do pretty much anything right now and will see gains.

He has a pretty good YouTube channel. Good link.

[SpecialEd]

(02-03-2014 10:22 AM)RioNomad Wrote:  

(02-02-2014 02:20 PM)SpecialEd Wrote:  

And if you're spending more than an hour in the gym, you're resting too much between sets.

This isn't true for all programs. If you're running a 5x5 you can easily spend 1:30 in the gym because you need to rest a lot between sets or you will fail your next set.

Yea sure, strength oriented programs like 5x5 are going to require more rest due to neural fatigue. Elite power lifters will take 20 minutes between sets. This is optimal for strength gains, not putting on lean mass.

If littlewing wants to bulk up, I don't think 5x5 is the best way. Better off doing a program with compressed rests intervals and higher reps. Someone mentioned the 20 rep squats program, it's an excellent idea. I'd still start off with just doing bodyweight for a few months and milk those gains.

[Doctor]

Anytime someone starts talking about optimal rest between sets for beginners I picture C.T. Fletcher (or whatever that angry black guy's name is that says motherfuckin about 20 times a minute) talking about overtraining. Roughly "you don't want to overtrain? you motherfuckin don't want to do motherfuckin work".

Again, I haven't done 5x5 and I am not all that familiar with it, but there is nothing wrong with ascending or descending sets to facilitate "less than optimal" rest breaks. It will be tough, but your body will accommodate to short rest breaks. That's your work capacity and it increases over time with consistency. I remember there was a time I was training for a competition doing 80+% deadlifts every 60 seconds for like 10 sets of something. Week 1 I thought I was going to die. By the time I got to the end of the cycle I still thought I was going to die, but I was at a level far beyond what I was when I started. That's a bit of an extreme and I was definitely NOT a beginner while doing that, but the body is capable of doing a lot of hard work. Don't be afraid to challenge it.

[kali]

http://neilarey.com/workouts.html

All you need

[WanderingSoul]

(02-04-2014 03:24 AM)kali Wrote:  

http://neilarey.com/workouts.html

All you need

[Thomas the Rhymer]

(02-04-2014 03:24 AM)kali Wrote:  

http://neilarey.com/workouts.html

All you need

I thought I had seen it all, and that nothing on the internet could surprise me anymore, until I clicked your link...

That is some serious weird.